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Archive for the ‘Venues’ Category

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 19, 2026] Mike D / Angelnumber 8

When Mike D announced this album and tour I assumed it would sell out in a second.  But I don’t think it sold out at all.

I had listened to one song from the album and didn’t think that much of it, so I didn’t bother getting a ticket.  I’ve never seen the Beastie Boys, and decided I didn’t want to go this way.

But I may have been a bit harsh.   A review from MidBrow Philly says

the most glaring absence from Thank You — the intricate vocal interplay that defined the Beastie Boys — is evident. Despite this, the record’s fun, kitchen sink approach of arrangement and production takes your mind off of what’s not there. Ultimately, Thank You is a busy, fearless record that doesn’t contend with the legacy of Diamond’s old band as much as it adds to his own.

Diamond’s vocals throughout the set were processed through an unrelenting wall of distortion and delay, giving the songs a rough but otherworldly texture.

According to the setlist, he did a couple of Beastie Boys (Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun) songs and the set was about an hour.

Angelnumber 8 opened the show. There’s very little about him online. He has a few songs on Tidal and yet there’s an article about him that dates back to 2021–which talks about how it is to find out about him online.  Tidal shows a new EP this year with 5 songs each about 2 minutes long. The songs are kind of chill raps.  hard to imagine what he’s like live.

And here’s the Mike D show from UT thanks to Jim Powers.

 

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[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2026] Beck / Ioanna Gika

Beck always puts on a good show.  Some of my favorite concert moments of the last few years involved Beck. But this tour was for his new, mopey album and that didn’t sound like a fun tour to check out.  I looked at tickets and it was EXPENSIVE as well.

So I didn’t even bother trying to get tickets.  Ironically, my brothers-in-law went to see him in Red Rocks.  They said it was good, but when I looked at the setlist, it didn’t sound very fun.

But I’m not the intended audience when he writes “This isn’t a hits show…this is the Ride Lonesome Tour so we are playing the new album and we are leaning heavily into Sea Change and Morning Phase.”  Nothing wrong with those albums, just not what I want to see live.

Who the heck is Ioanna Gika?

Gika played in io echo which toured throughout the United States and had support slots for Nine Inch Nails, Haim, New Order, and Jon Hopkins amongst others. Gika also wrote the score for Harmony Korine’s film ‘Rebel’, collaborated with Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi for Universal’s Dracula, created the score for a Louis Vuitton fall runway collection, and wrote a song that was shortlisted by the academy for Snow White and The Huntsman. Ioanna Gika completed her first solo tour opening for Deafheaven and Diiv in October, and her first solo record Thalassa is coming out April 5th on Sargent House.

To best understand Ioanna Gika and the world that she has created, it is best to shatter all that you know to be reality and toss on a druid robe as you embark on a personal journey of monastic sorcery. There is something witchy and transformative about her music which has been easily captivating to new audiences. The music bares something traditional while bridging into soft techno undertones that has created such a strong narrative for those who balance the moods of raving and meditating.

I’ve listened to a few of her songs and I am transfixed.  One sounds like a quiet electronic ballad that suddenly turns into a Portishead song.  I hope she does a headlining tour in the area soon.

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[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2026] Jenny Tian

Last year Jenny Tian came to Union Transfer and I would have liked to see her but things didn’t work out.  I didn’t expect an Australian comedian to come back just a year later.  But here she was.

I was intrigued to go to Punch Line, where I’ve never been, although it being in the Fillmore area means that parking would be iffy.

But I already had tickets to see Acid Mothers Temple so I had to miss her again.  Come back again, Jenny, ok?

I have made a list of all of comedians from Taskmaster who I would like to see live.  It’s not everyone of course (some of them don’t do stand up and some I don’t think I would enjoy).  And then we started watching Taskmaster Australia and Taskmaster New Zealand, and I’ve added a dozen or so more to that list.

 

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[ATTENDED: October 16, 2026] Wax Jaw

When this show was announced as part of Philly Music Week, I grabbed a ticket immediately.  Three of the four bands were bands I had either seen or wanted to see.  The only band I didn’t know was Midfield.

I have seen Wax Jaw twice, although I laugh at the number of times I haven’t seen them but could have (14 times).  I’m curious that each time I’ve seen them, they’ve played ten songs.  Huh.

So they were the headliners of the side stage and they exploded onto the stage with Lace Up.  Within moments, guitarist George Fenton was on the floor getting a mosh pit going!

One thing I’ve always enjoyed about the Wax Jaw printed setlist is that between songs, they write things which they (sometimes) say to the audience.  Like after the first song, Shane Morgan said, as was printed “I like to see the pit going crazy, just don’t be a creep” (as an intro to Creepshow).

So they played three songs from their 2025 album, which I actually didn’t know that well, even though I was obsessed with their debut EP.  The new album is also really good–punkier and more diverse–I just missed it entirely somehow–along with half a dozen shows.

The setlist notes that Bite the Apple was a new song and then says that they just got back from Europe, so buy some merch. They had new merch, but I didn’t love any of it. (more…)

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[DID NOT ATTEND: October 22, 2026] Acid Mothers Temple / Magick Potion / Tim Dahl + MV Carbon

I was looking forward to seeing Acid Mothers Temple again (for the fifth time).  They usually come around in October, near my daughter’s birthday.  This makes it tough for me to see them, but this time they were here on a Sunday night and I was sure I would get to see them this time.

But I wound up going to four shows last week and I was exhausted, possibly from a mild cold as well.  I was bummed to miss them, but I’m fairly certain they will return next year.

Magick Potion is from the outskirts of Baltimore, consisting of founder, Dresden Boulden on Guitar and Vocals, Triston Grove on Bass, and Jason Kendall on Drums. Magick Potion is a hard hitting heavy rock trio channeling the raw energy and heavy grooves of the late 60’s and early 70’s. The band crafts a sound that fuses heavy rock’s gritty riffs with contrasting moments boarding on psychedelia. With roaring guitars, thunderous drums and hard driving bass lines Magick Potion conjures a vibe that is both nostalgic yet contemporary and original. (more…)

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[DID NOT ATTEND: October 18, 2026] The Tallest Man on Earth / Gwenifer Raymond

I’d wanted to see The Tallest Man on Earth for many years and I finally did back in 2022.  He is Kristian Matsson, a Swedish folksinger with a great guitar picking style and a deep powerful gritty voice.  This is his second time back since then.  Keswick is a hassle to get to and although I’d like to see him again, I already had tickets to see Acid Mothers Temple, so I wasn’t going to go anyway.

Gwenifer Raymond is a Welsh guitarist.   She recently did a Tiny Desk and it is a marvel.  She plays acoustic guitar, with a fingerpicking style that includes dramatic and fast chord playing as well.

As the Tiny Desk says,

There’s an understated charm about the Welsh guitarist’s limited banter behind the Desk, but little prepares you for what howls from her instrument. Raymond’s fingerstyle guitar drones with a haunted quality, but her flurry of bends, slides and chord clusters rip open the firmament. Steeped in pre-war blues, but picking up on the acoustic innovations of John Fahey and Jack Rose, Raymond started releasing records a little less than a decade ago. But it’s on Last Night I Heard the Dog Star Bark, one of NPR Music’s best albums of 2025, where the Cardiff-born and now Brighton-based guitarist forged an unmistakably distinct sound: a controlled recklessness that conjures spells with six strings. Exhilarating, but also terrifying. After the dizzying shred of “Jack Parsons Blues” and the scenic storytelling of “Bliws Afon Tâf,” Raymond comes up for air, suddenly aware of the audience in awe. It’s just her back there, after all, with an acoustic guitar — we’re lost in the trance, too. And then, as if on cue, she takes us to hell.

She’s an intense marvel and presumably left the room rapt.  Maybe she’ll play at McCarter next year.

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[DID NOT ATTEND: October 17, 2026] Plini / Night Verses / Portraits

I saw Plini open for Animals as Leaders a couple of years ago,  It was a night of technical guitar brilliance and impressive guitar showoffery.

Plini is Plini Roessler-Holgate, an Australian guitarist who has been recognized by all of the famous guitar gods [for instance: Steve Vai described him as “the future of exceptional guitar playing.”]  It was an amazing display of skill and speed.   Instrumental guitar songs full of incredible fingerwork.  The impressive thing was how smooth and easily he played his blistering solos–as if his fingers were longer than anybody else’s.

I completely didn’t register this show when it was announced and only realized that this was that guy a few days ago.  There was no way I was going to the show as I had a lot of other things going on, but I’m a little bummed I missed it.  Just a little.

I hadn’t heard of Night Verses (I don’t really follow the amazing-guitarists line of music anymore], but apparently they are one of those bands.  And their story is kind of interesting too

In 2017, the post-rock outfit Night Verses collectively decided it was time for a radical change. After five years and two critically acclaimed full-length albums, singer Douglas Robinson was going to leave the fold and the remaining members would forge ahead as a three-piece instrumental unit.

Having listened to them before and after, they made the right choice–they are so much better as an instrumental outfit.

Portraits are “a progressive instrumental (for the most part) band featuring guitarists Joshua De La Victoria & Joseph Anidjar.”  More technical mastery.  Rather less interesting than some, but still impressive.

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[DID NOT ATTEND: October 17, 2026] Cradle of Filth / Black Satellite / Blackbraid / Worm

I’ve known of Cradle of Filth for decades (they have been around since 1991).  I always assumed they were a hard to listen to growly band not unlike Napalm Death (who I have seen and loved).  I just never really thought about seeing them.  Then I read a review that notes that

The band’s style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more “produced” amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal and other genres. Their lyrics and imagery are influenced by Gothic literature, poetry, mythology and horror films.

So I listened to a few songs and I found out that lead Filth man Dani Filth is in corpse paint and it’s all theatrical and crazy and I’m in.

But I decided to see them in Allentown next week instead of at Starland.

I didn’t know Worm, but apparently I should have if this review from Metal Hammer is to be believed.

the band’s frontman/founder Phantom Slaughter and guitarist Wroth Septentrion [are] one of heavy music’s wackiest new bands. Mr Slaughter, whose real name remains a mystery to us, founded Worm as a solo project in 2012, after being inspired by the documentary Until The Light Takes Us and its depiction of Norwegian black metal. He channeled all of the infamous scene’s excess and kitsch (minus the church burnings and murder) into his own music, putting on corpse paint and writing screeching, frost-bitten songs that often soared past the 10-minute mark.  Necropalace, their fourth album, is the purest distillation of Worm’s ludicrousness. The 12-minute title track and its music video tell you everything you need to know, opening with devastating chords and lead guitars, then breaking into a sprint of whirlwind drums and quasi-symphonic keyboards. The visuals look like a snuff-film-slash-giallo-horror dug up in the Scandinavian wilderness, with Phantom wearing gauntlets and wielding a sword for no reason. But, the most maximalist bit doesn’t come until eight minutes in, when Wroth nails a solo so over-the-top that it would leave Yngwie Malmsteen bug-eyed. It’s batshit brilliance, turning black metal up to 11 before tearing the knob off.

Initially I didn’t care that they won’t be at my show in Allentown, but now I’m really bummed. (more…)

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[ATTENDED: October 16, 2026] Remember Sports

When this show was announced as part of Philly Music Week, I grabbed a ticket immediately.  Three of the four bands were bands I had either seen or wanted to see.  The only band I didn’t know was Midfield.

I had seen Remember Sports just a few months ago when they headlined Kung Fu Necktie.  I feel like they should be a bigger band since WXPN was playing one of their songs a lot–and they were asked to do a Free at Noon today (I didn’t go since I was seeing them tonight).   I was surprised that they were going on when they were (2nd of 4).  But I never know if opening on the main stage is better than headlining the side stage.  I actually thought they might be bigger than Sweet Pill, but I was massively mistaken about that.

Nevertheless, they are such a dynamite live band.

It was much more crowded here than at KFN.  Like last time, I was in front of guitarist Jack Washburn who is really fun to watch–he played great solos and switched easily from noisy to quiet.   I could barely see bassist Catherine Dwyer who was in shadow for much of the set.  But like last time, she sang excellent backing vocals and in true bass player fashion, was chill and low key–she did make a joke about some basketball podcast being taped in Underground Arts, so she was geeking out about that.

Last time I couldn’t see drummer Connor Perry, but this time he was right up front too, and I was really impressive by his intensity–the songs aren’t super heavy or anything (well, a couple are) but he was a maniac behind the kit.

But really all attention is on singer/guitarist Carmen Perry.  She played an acoustic guitar for the first couple of songs and then switched to an electric for the rest.  Her voice is great with a lot of variety, including some really powerful screams.  But I’m amused every time she speaks between songs because she is so quiet and almost nervous–after belting out a song like Bug, she asks how everyone is doing and if they like living in Philly.   This isn’t as weird as it seems, it related to her saying that they had just come back from Europe and she asked what people think of when they think of Philly and the overwhelming answer is Cream Cheese!

Although their set didn’t differ radically from when I saw them, they did mix things up and only played 7 songs from the new album “We have a new album out.  We like it.”

They played five songs from the new album–a great mix of tempos and intensities.  Then they dipped into some older songs, one from their previous EP and one from their debut album.  But they also played three older songs that they didn’t play last time.

Pinky Ring from their last full length and then two from an album they didn’t touch when I saw them last time, 2015’s All of Something.  Reality TV, a fast punky song and Washing Machine, a sweet gently rocking song.  They ended with Cut Fruit, a track with a noisy intro (again, Washburn does great things with noise and feedback) that turns into a simple, catchy song.  It was a perfect, compact set.

They set was short, and it was great, except for the trio of (presumably drunk), really obnoxious guys who were shouting to each other through most of the songs.  What the heck?  And no one said anything to them (they were pretty intimidating looking, I will admit) and I made sure to avoid them going forward.

 

October 2026 (Underground Arts) Feb 2026 (Kung Fu Necktie)
Ghost ® Across The Line ®
Across The Line ® Bug ®
Yowie ® Thumb ®
Bug ® Tiny Planets Π
Thumb ® You’re So Sorry Π
Leap Day £ Cut Fruit ®
Tiny Planets Π Selfish ®
Pinky Ring ♣ Ghost ®
Nevermind ® Fridge ®
Reality TV ⊗ Yowie ®
The Washing Machine ⊗ Calling Out §
Cut Fruit ® Easy ♣
Zucchini ®
Soothe/Seethe ®
Nevermind ®
Leap Day £
Out Loud ♣

 

® The Refrigerator (2026)
£ Leap Day EP (2022)
♣  Like a Stone (2021)
§ Slow Buzz (2018)
⊗ All of Something (2015)
Π SPORTS (2013)

 

 

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[DID NOT ATTEND: October 11, 2026] Isiliel / Eternal Hoshi with Arrow and Liza

I had wanted to go to this show since I missed the PhilaMOCA one.  And when I realized it was at 1:30 PM I was sure it would be a really fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. And I gather that Eternal HOSHI played her music so she wasn’t singing to a backing track, which would have made this more fun.

But wow, I was wrecked after four nights in a row and we had a lot of stuff to do around the house so it just wouldn’t have worked out.  The show was only 90 minutes but with the drive, we were looking at about 4 hours total, and that was just too much time on a gorgeous Saturday.

So, sadly, I’ll have to wait until the next time Isiliel comes back.

I saw Isiliel twice in a few months back in 2023/2024.  It was weird and fun.

So, who is Isiliel?  She is Himari Tsukishiro who is the main singer in the Japanese band Necronomidol.  As her site puts it

Isiliel is a solo dance/vocal project by Himari Tsukishiro (NECRONOMIDOL).
Mixing genres as diverse as folk, blackgaze and city pop via a worldwide team of veteran songwriters such as King Dude and NARASAKI of COALTAR OF THE DEEPERS, through Isiliel Himari will express hitherto unexplored depths of pathos and beauty on stage.

She basically sang to her music that was played over the speakers.  As I said, it was fun but weird. (more…)

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